Software on their computers may allow others to steal information, she said.

“Many of us who may casually download pictures or songs or videos or screen savers . . . may be downloading malicious coding that’s designed to sit dormant on our computers until whoever it is arming them activates them,” Aftab said.

The US goverment spent much educating citizens in WWII to be aware of spying activities and to mind the information within their possession — perhaps a cyber oriented campaign is needed here.